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April 19, 1932. SANZ MANUFACTURE OF DERIVATIVE SALTS OF COPPER BY ELECTROLYSIS Filed Oct. 11, 1927 I YIAIVENTOR." 63 B "m I r A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 19, 1932 PATENT OFFICE RICARDO SANZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MANUFACTURE OF DERIVATIVE SALTS OF COPPER BY ELECTROLYSIS Application filed October 11, 1927. Serial No. 225,413.

This invention relates to the manufacture of hydrates, oxides, carbonates, and sulphates of copper, and similar salts of copper, by electrolysis.

According to the invention the electrolysis is efiected in the use of carbonic acid gas alone as the reactive electrolyte for the hydrates, oxides and carbonates of copper, and other derivatives, and with a solution of a substance adapted to act as a catalyst. Sulphate of copper requires sulphate of sodium or ammonium as the reactive electrolyte.

According to the invention, moreover, sodium chlorate, chloride, or nitrate is used 1 as the solvent catalyst and it is employed in very dilute solution.

According to the invention, moreover, the respective electrodes are spaced apart out of close proximity in order that the reaction may develop in the space between them and permit of the salts of copper being precipitated in position between the adjacent electrodes as a cloudy slime and away from the surface of the electrodes. Thus, it will be understood that the solution of the solvent catalyst employed may be continuall used. The exhausted electrolyte being withdrawn from the vats and being regenerated by the solution within it of fresh carbonic acid gas before return to the vats.

It will be understood that in the practical application of the invention it is necessary that the electrolyte within the vats be maintained substantially saturated with carbonic acid gas. Accordingly the vats are provided with means by which the electrolyte may be withdrawn in a small stream, and with means by which the liquid content may be rapidly withdrawn when desired, while means are provided adapted to deliver fresh or regenerated electrolyte into the vats at a rate corresponding to the rate at which it is withdrawn in the small stream, or alternatively to permit the vats being rapidly filled with 45 the electrolyte.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof reference will be had to the following descri tion and accompanying drawings and to t e appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view-of an electrolytic vat provided for carrying out the process hereinbefore describe, and in which the electrodes are not indicated.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof.

In carrying the invention into effect asillustrated in the accompanying drawings the vat 10 is provided at a position beneath with a small cook 11 and with another larger cook 12, while at 13 an inlet pipe is provided through which the saturated liquid 16 is fed to the tank. The pipe 13 is providedv with a sleeve 13 upon which is screwthreaded a nozzle 14 in which is provided an outlet tube 15 of small diameter. In operation the liquid saturated with carbonic acid gas is allowed continuously to flow into the vat 10 through the small jet nozzle 15 while an equal quantity of the exhausted liquid electrolyte 16 is allowed to flow out from the vat through the cook 11. Thus, the volume of the electrolyte in the vat is maintained constant and the electrolyte is always saturated to substantially the same degree and thus uniform operation is insured When it is desired to empty the vat for the extraction of the salts of copper produced, and in order that this may be done as rapidly as possible, the liquid content of the vat is allowed to flow through the outlet cook 12. The liquid is maintained substantially uniformly saturated with carbonic acidin the manner described above.

It will be understood that the saturation with carbonic acid gas may be efi'eoted in an ascending tube 17 in communication with a longitudinal supply pipe 18 to which the outlet pipe 13 is connected, the carbonic acid gas being injected through a smaller pipe 19 protruding into the ascending liquid, the smaller pipe referred to being provided with a controlling valve 20 by which the admission of the gas may be controlled.

As an example of the carrying out of the invention a vat of 1200 litres capacity may be used. This vat is filled to its capacity with water having dissolved in it 4% of sodium chlorate, chloride, or nitrate, and the electrodes used may for example, be of a superficial area of 50 by 50 cm. The respective anodes may be provided of a thickness of 20 mm. and the respective electrodes are set apart at a distance of, for example, 5 cm., and a current of 3 to 3.5 volts may be used. No 0 limitation is involved to the actual conditions specified which are given merely as illustrative of the manner of which the invention may be carried into effect. A space may be provided in the vat beneath the electrodes to a depth equal to or advantageously slight ly more than the vertical dimension of the electrodes.

In operation it will be understood that reaction develops in positions between adjacent electrodes and that the basic copper hydrate, oxide, or carbonate forms in position between and falls as fine flake or snow to the bottom of the bath and away from the surface of the electrodes. The cathodes used may be of copper, zinc, or iron.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various alterations therein may be made. I, therefore, reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction or otherwise altering the relation of the correlated parts without departing from the spirit or the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In a method for the manufacture of copper carbonate by electrolysis in a single chamher tank and consisting in the use of electrolyte and carbonic acid gas, withdrawing the exhausted electrolyte from the tank in which the electrolytic process is carried out, while allowing the recipitated salt to remain .45 within the tan supplying the withdrawn exhausted electrolyte back into the tank again at the same rate as it is withdrawn, and regenerating the electrolyte with carbonic acid gas while in circulation before re-entering the tank.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature. 7

RICARDO SANZ. 

